Mechanism for simultaneously tilting and raising a patient X-ray table



g- 1968 w. J. HOGAN 3,396,274

MECHANISM FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY TILTING AND RAISING A PATIENT X-RAY TABLE Filed May 11, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ll I. IIIILI-IJIIII llllllll m MWE/VTOA.

W/LZ //1M J. HOGAN BY 6M U A TTOAIVE YJI 'Aug. 6, 1968 w. .1. HOGAN 3,396,274

MECHANISM FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY TILTING AND RAISING A PATIENT X-RAY TABLE Filed May ll, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 01 lice 3,396,274 Patented Aug. 6, 1968 3,396,274 MECHANISM FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY TILTING AND RAISING A PATIENT X-RAY TABLE William J. Hogan, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Ritter Pfaudler Corporation, Rochester,

N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed May 11, 1966, Ser. No. 549,314 Claims. (Cl. 250-55) This invention relates to means for tilting the patient X-ray table and the basket which it supports.

In apparatus for X-ray examination of a patient, the patients basket is an elongated cradle into which the patient is placed. The basket is supported on the X-ray table, and the table is supported on a frame.

It is desired that, for examination, the patient be movable to a variety of positions in the field of the X-rays. One way to accomplish this is to provide means for rotating the basket on the X-ray table about its longitudinal axis, and to also provide means for tilting the frame which carries the X-ray table about the short transverse axis of the table frame.

'In my copending application entitled Patient Rotator Basket for X-Ray Machine, Ser. No. 545,736 filed Apr. 27, 1966, I describe an improved form of construction for rotating the basket on the X-ray table about its longitudinal axis while maintaining a fixed distance to the image plane. The present invention provides an improved way of tilting the X-ray table frame about its short transverse axis.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic elevational side view of an X-ray apparatus showing the X-ray table frame tilted into an inclined position;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic elevational rear view of a portion of the X-ray apparatus of FIG. 1, looking along the line and in the direction of the arrows II-II of FIG. 1, showing the X-ray table frame in an inclined position, and showing the means provided by the present invention for tilting the frame and for raising or elevating the frame automatically during the tilting operation;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged diagrammatic elevational side view of a portion of FIG. 2 looking along the line and in the direction of the arrows III-III of FIG. 2, showing the tilt drive mechanism; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary diagram showing how the table frame is elevated during the tilting operation.

Referring now to the drawings, a pair of hollow steel columns and 11 are supported between the floor line 12 and the ceiling line 13 as by support bracket means 15.

An elevator housing 60, through which columns 10 and 11 pass, is supported by chains 17 and 18 which pass over sprockets 26 and 27 mounted on shaft 21. To the opposite ends of chains 17 and 18, cylindrical counterweights 19 and are attached. The counter-weights are contained in, and move up and down within, the hollow steel columns 10 and 11.

Positioned to one side of elevator housing 60 is a frame 30 which supports an elongated X-ray table which supports the patient basket 40. Basket is rotatable on the table about the lengthwise axis of the basket, as on the pinions 41 and 42. Suitable drive means 43, 44 are provided for rotating the pinions 41 and 42. An X-ray tube 80 is slidably supported for vertcial adjustment above the patient basket 40 on a pair of rods which are supported on the frame 30. Thus, when the frame 30 is tilted by the means of the present invention, the X-ray tube 80 moves with the frame 30, table 35 and basket 40.

The elevator 60, carrying the tiltable table frame 30, the X-ray table 35 and the rotatable basket 40, together with the necessary drive means for tilting the table, are almost but not fully counter-balanced by the counter weights 19 and 20. In other words, the elevator with its load is slightly under counter-balanced so that the elevator and its load has a light weight which tends to keep the table in a down position. The under side of the table frame 30 is provided with a pair of wheels or rollers 31 and 32, one at each end of the under side of the frame. When the frame 30 and X-ray table 35 are in horizontal position, the wheels 31 and 32 rest lightly on a rail 39. In this position, the X-ray table and basket are at a suitable level for convenient examination of the patient, about three feet above the floor. Since the X-ray table has an overall length of at least seven feet, it is apparent that the table cannot be tilted from the horizontal to a fully vertical position without some provision being made for elevating the center of the table during the tilting operation. This will be discussed more fully later. First, the means for tilting the table will be described.

Secured, as by bolts 51 and 52, to the frame 30 is an arcuate steel segment 50 having a diametral portion 53 and a semi-circular portion 54. A chain 56, preferably a double chain, embraces the outer edge surface of the semi-circular portion '54. Chain '56 is secured at each end, as by sets of pins 55, to the upper edge surface of the diametral portion 53. A pivot support shaft is fixed to the center point of the diametral portion 53 and projects horizontally therefrom in the direction of the elevator housing 60. The projecting end of shaft 70 is supported, as by bearings 71 and 72, in a subhousing 67 mounted on the elevator housing 60.

Supported in elevator housing 60 is a reversible electric motor which, through reduction gearing 81, drives a worm 83 which engages and drives a gear 84 keyed or otherwise fixed to a shaft 85 journaled for rotation in the elevator housing. Also fixed to shaft 85 is a double sprocket 86 which engages and drives the double chain 56 which embraces the semi-circular edge surface of the arcuate segment 50. In this manner the segment 50 is rotated about the shaft 70, thereby to tilt the table frame 30, table 35 and patient basket 40 to the desired angular or tilt position. During this tilting action, lateral movement of the elevator housing 60 is prevented by the columns 10 and 11 which pass through the elevator housing.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the table frame 30 is there illustrated as tilted at an angle of about 30 from the horizontal, with the right end of the table and the under roller 32 raised well above the rail 39. It will be understood that as the table is tilted about the shaft 70, in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2, the left under roller 31 moves inwardly along the rail 39, to the right as viewed in FIG. 2. This causes the center portion of the table frame at the shaft 70 to move vertically upward, this movement being assisted by the counter-weights 19 and 20 which move downwardly. Suitable bearings not shown facilitate the upward movement of the elevator housing 60 on the columns 10 and 11.

As the tilting movement of the table counterclockwise about the shaft 70 continues, and as the roller 31 continues its travel inwardly along the rail 39, to the right as viewed in FIG. 2, the small roller 37 mounted at the end of the table frame, comes into contact with the rail 39, as seen in FIG. 4. In FIG. 4, the table is shown tilted to an angle of about 55. And, as the tilting movement in the counterclockwise direction continues, the larger roll 33, rotatably mounted at the left end of the table frame, comes into contact with the rail 39, as indicated in FIG. 4, where the table is shown in phantom in vertical position.

Similar rollers 38 and 34 are provided at the right end of the table frame, and the action when the table is tilted in the clockwise direction is similar to that just described.

It will be seen then that as the table is tilted by the drive shaft 70, the table frame and table are automatically elevated through the camming action of the rollers on the rail 39, lateral movement of the elevator 60 being prevented, as above mentioned, by the columns 10 and 11.

While the preferred embodiment of this invention has been described in some detail, it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the invention as hereinafter claimed.

It will also be obvious from what has been said above that when the table is returned from a tilted to a horizontal position, the weight of the elevator and its load causes the center of the table to move downward, the cam rollers moving outwardly on the cam rail.

What is claimed is:

1. In an X-ray apparatus; an elevator housing; a pair of support columns passing vertically through said elevator housing; an X-ray table frame positioned along one side of said elevator housing; a vertically disposed semicircular segment fixed to the side of said frame adjacent said elevator housing; a shaft fixed to said segment and projecting laterally therefrom onto said elevator housing; means supporting said projecting end of said shaft on said elevator housing; counter-balance means supporting said elevator housing and its load, including said table frame; drive means mounted on said elevator housing and engaging the semi-circular edge of said segment for pivoting said segment on said shaft, thereby to tilt said X-ray table frame to a desired angular position relative to the horizontal; and means for automatically elevating the center of said X-ray table frame as said table frame moves away from the horizontal toward a vertical position.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that said means for automatically elevating said X-ray table frame comprises a cam rail secured to the floor, and cam rollers on the under side of said table frame and at each end thereof for engaging said cam rail.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 characterized in that said columns are hollow and in that said counterbalanced means comprises a pair of weights disposed within said columns and secured by Way of overhead pulley means to said elevator housing for slightly under counterbalancing said elevator housing and its load including said X-ray table frame.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 characterized in that a chain embraces the semi-circular edge surface of said segment, and in that said drive means includes a sprocket which engages said chain.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 further characterized in that said drive chain is a double chain and said sprocket is a double sprocket.

No references cited.

RALPH G. NILSON, Primary Examiner. S. C. SHEAR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN AN X-RAY APPARATUS; AN ELEVATOR HOUSING; A PAIR OF SUPPORT COLUMNS PASSING VERTICALLY THROUGH AND ELEVATOR HOUSING; AN X-RAY TABLE FRAME POSITIONED ALONG ONE SIDE OF SAID ELEVATOR HOUSING; A VERTICALLY DISPOSED SEMICIRCULAR SEGMENT FIXED TO THE SIDE OF SAID FRAME ADJACENT SAID ELEVATOR HOUSING; A SHAFT FIXED TO SAID SEGMENT AND PROJECTING LATERALLY THEREFROM ONTO SAID ELEVATOR HOUSING; MEANS SUPPORTING SAID PROJECTING END OF SAID SHAFT ON SAID ELEVATOR HOUSING; COUNTER-BALANCE MEANS SUPPORTING SAID ELEVATOR HOUSING AND ITS LOAD, INCLUDING SAID TABLE FRAME; 